


America's Sweetheart

by jacedesbff



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Cheerleaders, Dallas Cowboys, F/M, Stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24835549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacedesbff/pseuds/jacedesbff
Summary: Betty, a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, meets Jughead when he is her Creative Writing T.A. Will follow through to when she graduates with her undergraduate degree. Will include reporter!Jughead, a slow burn of necessity at first because he can't date a student, and Chuck as a stalker. I like big fluff and I cannot lie (but will have angst from outside sources that they must face together.)
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Reggie Mantle/Josie McCoy
Kudos: 12





	America's Sweetheart

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I like reality TV shows that require skill, i.e. _So You Think You Can Dance, Project Runway_ (the earlier seasons), _Dancing with the Stars_ (the later seasons after my sister convinced me that it took skill), _Sheer Genius_ , and _Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team_. I constantly find myself defending that last choice, but if you’re not familiar with it, the women on that show are some of the hardest-working dancers in the world, literally. And then I read a fic where Betty said that her mom, a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader (a.k.a. a “DCC”), expected her to go to Dallas and become one, as well. She didn’t, but you can’t say that to a huge fan of the show and not expect me to take that idea and run. So I have. It’s kind of a cracky idea, but it’s taken seriously, so there you have it!

When Jughead was young, he tried to pretend that he didn’t care what people thought of him, but he did. As he got older, he grew to the point where he really did care less than before, but even he couldn’t help but get a kick out of the reaction he got when people found out he was dating a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. 

To be fair, Jughead was a fairly private guy, so it wasn’t like it came up all that often. One of the more memorable reactions (which happened every. Single. Time.) was when he visited home for Christmas, because his job as a sports writer at the Dallas Morning News kept him away most of the year. Even by the standards of a tattooed former gang member-turned-reporter, his friends’ response to his girlfriend’s job was indeed noteworthy. 

It was a few days before Christmas, and Jughead was hanging out with Archie, Veronica, Josie, and Reggie at the Whyte Wyrm, when Veronica brought up Jughead’s new girlfriend. 

“So is she visiting her family? I was hoping we would get to meet her,” commented Archie’s fiancée as she sipped her amaretto sour. 

“No, she’s working,” he answered, not paying too much attention as he looked around the bar at people he hadn’t seen since the previous Christmas. 

“She has to get off for Christmas Day, though, right?” Archie noted. 

“No,” and Jughead turned his attention back to his friends. He had kind of been hoping that Sweet Pea or Fangs would show up tonight. “She gets home on January second.” 

There was a bit of a chuckle around the table. 

“Dude, what does she do?” asked Archie. 

“I hope they’re paying her well,” added Josie. 

“They’re paying better than they used to,” said Jughead dryly as he took a drink of his Coke. No alcohol for him, thanks. “They got sued because they weren’t paying enough so they raised the salary. It still isn’t much, but she says the tour is her favorite part of the job, so it’s not really about the money.” 

“You still haven’t said what she does,” said Veronica. 

“Or where she is,” noted Reggie. 

Jughead gave a slight smile. “She’s in Korea on a USO tour with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. They do this for the troops every year.” 

Reggie’s eyebrows furrowed. “She works for the Cowboys Cheerleaders?” 

“She _is_ a Cowboys Cheerleader,” answered Jughead. 

Four sets of eyes stared back at him in shock. No one spoke. 

“What?” he asked. He hadn’t mentioned it to anyone because it hadn’t come up. He didn’t expect quite this reaction to the news, though…

Archie whistled low and exchanged a look with Reggie. 

Veronica finally spoke. 

“You’re dating a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader?” 

“Um, yeah?” 

“Like from the TV show, _Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team_?” asked Josie, clearly astonished. 

“That’s the one,” continued Jughead. 

“Which girl?!” demanded Veronica. “Josie and I love that show! Which one are you dating?!”

Jughead blinked. He had watched the show once he and Betty reconnected, much to her embarrassment. He didn’t know his friends watched it, though. 

“Betty Cooper,” he said. “Blond hair, green eyes, from upstate New York—“

“Her mom was a DCC, so she’s a legacy!” Josie cut him off. “I love her!”

“This is her second year,” continued Veronica. “She worked really hard to make the team on her own merits and not just because her mom was friends with Kelli and Judy.” 

“Everyone loves her!” gushed Josie. 

“She’s also smoking hot,” added Reggie. 

Every eye turned to look at him. 

Reggie rolled his eyes. “You save every episode on the DVR, Josie, and it’s hot chicks wearing sexy outfits while dancing. So yes. I’ve watched the show. Jughead, man, nicely done.” 

It was Jughead’s turn to roll his eyes. “I’m not dating her because she’s a cheerleader, guys. I’m dating her because she’s...” His voice trailed off. He didn’t really want to reveal to his friends all of the extraordinary things about Betty that made him love her. She was…everything, really. 

“But she’s dating you,” Reggie said in exaggerated confusion, snapping Jughead back to the conversation. 

Now that is what Jughead had been waiting for: the disbelief. He couldn’t blame them. He couldn’t believe it either. 

Josie jumped to his defense. “Jughead’s not the same goofy loner he was when he was in high school, Reggie. He grew up to be the quite the tasty little nugget.”

Veronica nodded in agreement while Archie and Reggie look pained. 

“I can’t hear that, Josie,” said Archie. “It’s just wrong.” 

“Don’t feel too bad, Arch,” said Veronica as she put her arm around him. “You have me. But yeah, your best friend is dating one of the 36 most desirable women in the U.S., so you know, there’s that. Okay!” Veronica’s tone signaled a change of subject. “When do we get to meet the woman who softened Jughead’s stony heart?! Josie and I need to meet our new best friend.”

“Yeah, you can’t wait until next Christmas again,” said Josie. 

“Especially since she’ll probably be on tour again,” nodded Veronica. 

“She wasn’t in Show Group her first year,” said Josie, “and she was really excited about it this year. I’ll bet she stays in another year just so she can do Show Group again.” 

“Hey, Jughead would know!” pointed out Veronica. “Is Betty going to try out again next year?!” 

Jughead shook his head as he laughed. “You’ll have to ask her when you meet her. It’s not really my place to say.” 

Veronica and Josie were clearly disappointed. 

“Okay,” Archie said. “It sounds like I’m the only one here who hasn’t seen this TV show, right? Assuming that Jughead has seen it?” He looked at Jug, who nodded. “But even I know who the Cowboys Cheerleaders are. Dude, that’s insane. Seriously, how did you meet her?”

“And end up dating her?” added Reggie. 

Well, that was kind of a long story. 

oOo

This was the class Betty had been looking forward to more than any other this year. CRWT 102—Creative Writing for Majors was the required introductory course for students who wanted to apply for the Creative Writing program at UT-Dallas. It was an extremely competitive program, and only 30% of the students who applied were accepted into the program. 

Betty came to Dallas from upstate New York to do two things: get accepted into this Creative Writing program and become a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. Those were her dreams, and she was going to do whatever it took to make them a reality. 

Her first challenge to her plans arrived in the form of the T.A. for the class, one Jughead Jones, who might possibly be the best-looking guy she had ever seen. Okay, it wasn’t like one hot guy was going to derail her life’s goals, but he was at least a distraction. 

The professor, a doctoral student named Charles Williams, insisted that the 25 students in the class call him Charley. He seemed like a good guy, and it sounded like he and Jughead really were a team. 

“If you’re in this class, it’s because you want this to be your major,” said Charley on the first day. “And the ultimate goal of this class is to finalize your application portfolio to turn in at the end of the semester. Jughead and I are not on the selection committee – that is made up of tenured faculty – so we are impartial, experienced bystanders, here to let you know what will help you stand the best chance of getting into the program. We’re going to be honest with you – some of you we’re going to encourage to choose another major. Some of you we may suggest take more of the introductory classes before you apply. And some of you we will encourage to apply in December. They ask me to teach this class because I’m honest – I’m not going to sugarcoat your chances of getting in, and neither will Jughead – there’s a reason he’s the T.A. While you can reapply if you don’t get in, your portfolio will be the first time that most of the professors will be exposed to your work. You want to leave the best possible impression. So. Let’s get started.” 

Betty loved college. She loved the freedom it afforded her, the chance to get out from underneath her mother’s oppressive gaze, the classes that let her revel in learning and reading and feeling like an adult. That being said, she had a lot on her plate. 

The previous May, she tried out for and made it into training camp for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. She wanted to wait a year – get settled into college and a new routine half a country away from her friends and family – before trying out, but her mother was insistent. 

“You’re at the peak of your physical abilities, Betty. You know how unforgiving the DCC uniform is. You need to strike while the iron is hot – well, mostly hot – and now is that time.” 

Betty agreed to try out. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to make the team. She had been dancing her entire life. Her mother put her in classes when she was three and never let up. Even though Cheryl Blossom was the River Vixens captain, Alice Cooper insisted that her daughter try out because she knew that the Vixens style of dance would prepare Betty for the DCC style, and that was all that mattered. 

Betty’s mother talked about her time as a DCC (Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, although anyone who didn’t automatically know that, her mother immediately looked down upon) as the best time in her life. Polly, Betty’s older sister, had rebelled and refused to keep going to dance classes when she hit high school; despite her mother’s overbearing nature, though, Betty loved it. She loved dance, she was obsessed with the TV show about the DCC, and she wanted that. She wanted to be one of America’s Sweethearts, “often imitated, never equaled”, and it wasn’t about her mother, it was about Betty and her drive to achieve her goals. 

She was living that dream now. Now it was time to live the other one, too.


End file.
